Binding-post.



PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

F. JACKSON.

BINDING POST.

APPLICATION FILED 1mg. 14, 1904.

r V 1 fi m/ 6 UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

FRANK JACKSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JACKSONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

BINDING-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

To all w/w'ne 11/; may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J AOKSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city and county of Denver, State of U010- rado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binding-Posts; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in binding-posts used in electricalwiring.

The objects of the invention are, first, to provide a binding-post towhich the wire may be quicklyattached and detached; second, to provide abinding-post which will hold the wire against accidental displacementdue to jarring or vibration; third, to provide a binding-post in whichthe wire is clamped between two surfaces by the action of a coiledspring under pressure, means being employed for varying the pressure ofthe said spring. I accomplish these objects by the mechanism illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view of the improved binding-post, the partsbeing arranged in the preferred order. Fig.

2 is a similar view, showing a binding-post comprising the same parts,but arranged in a different order. Fig. 3 is an end view of a modifiedform of thimble which forms part of the binding-post. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of a cupped plate against which the wire is clamped.Fig. 5 is a side view of the form of post shown in Fig. 1 andillustrating the manner of clamping the wire, and Fig. 6 is a side viewillustrating the application of the modification shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a stripof wood or any other non -conducting material which may form part of anyobject to which it is desired to secure the binding-post Upon one sideof this strip is secured a cupped plate 2, the edge of which is providedat diametrically opposite points with integral prongs 3, which areembedded in the strip, thereby holding This plate is prothe platesecurely thereon.

vided centrally with an aperture 4, which is in line with an aperture 5,that is formed in the strip. The plate 2 comprises the stationaryclamping member of the improved bind ing-post, and the movable membercomprises a thimble 6, the closed end of which is centrally apertured,as shown, while the opposite end thereof is outwardly flared, as shownat 7, so as to provide an annular lip or flange, which may be grasped bythe thumb and fingers, as will presently appear. Within this thimble isplaced a conical coiled spring 8, the apeXqof which is adjacent to theopen end of the thimble, while the largest coil fits tightly within thethimble and rests against the bottom or closed end thereof. Ascrew 9 ispassed through the coiled spring and through the apertures in end of thethimble, the plate 2, and the strip 1. A washer 10 is placed over theprojecting end of screw against the strip, and a nut is screwed upon theend of tlre'screw against the washer, thus drawing upon the screw, sothat its head will compress the spring 8 and hold the thimble againstthe plate 2. In order to attach a wire, the thimble is grasped betweenthe thumb and fingers and pulled away from the plate 2. The end of thewire is then passed between the thimble and plate and bent so as to hookover the shank of the screw, after which the thimble is released andthrough the action of the spring clamps the wire against the plate 2 andsecurely holds it. The wire may also be clamped without pulling out thethimble with the hand by simply forcing it between the thimble and theplate 2, the edges of which are rounded, as shown, thus enabling thewire to be easily wedged between them.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a form of binding-post in which the sameelements are em ployed, as shown in Fig. l, but are arranged in aslightly-different manner. In this form the screw is passed through thethimble and plate, the strip, and the washer on the opposite side of thestrip, the head of the screw resting upon the bottom of the thimble. Thespring is then placed over the projecting end of the. screw and the nutis turned upon the end of the screw against the spring, and the thimbleis thus held against the plate 2, the spring action being the same inboth instances. The spring may be caused to exert the desired amount ofpressure upon the thimble by turning the nut so as to compress the saidspring.

In Fig. 5 the wire is shown clamped in the manner hereinbeforedescribed; but in Fig. 6 a slightly-different arrangement is shown. Theclosed end of the thimble 11 in this instance is formed with suitabledepressions or grooves 12, which cross each other at right anglescentrally of the said end, the aperture in the end of the thimbleoccurring where the grooves cross. The shank of the screw 13 at asuitable distance from the head is formed with an elongated aperture orslot 14, and through this slot the end of the wire is passed and isclamped by the thimble, the said wire lying in one of the grooves12 inthe end of the thimble, which grooves are of less depth than thediameter of the wire, so as to prevent the end of the thimble contactingwith the plate 2.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a binding-post, the combination with a support, of a dished diskhaving prongs upon its edge by which it is secured to said support; athimble, the closed end of which abuts against said disk whileits openend is flared; a headed screw which passes through said thimble, disk,and support; a conical coiled spring interposed between the head of saidscrew and the end of said thimble, and a.

nut on the end of said screw, by which said spring is held undertension, substantially as shown.

2. In a binding-post, the combination of a thimble having a closed,apertured, end and an open, flared end; a conical, coiled spring in saidthimble; a dished disk which is centrally apertured, and provided on itsedge with integral prongs; a headed screw which passes through saidspring, thimble and disk, and a nut on the end of said screw,substantially as shown.

3. In a binding-post, the combination with a support, of a dished diskhaving a central aperture, and integral prongs on its edge, by which itis secured to said support; athimble having an open, flared, end and aclosed end which abuts against said disk, said closed end being providedwith grooves which cross each other; a conical, coiled, spring in saidthimble; a headed screw which passes through said spring, thimble, disk,and support, the shank of said screw being provided with a slot; and anut on the end of said screw, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I afi ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J AOKSON.

Witnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ANNA V. BETTS.

